Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a switching device, in particular in the form of an attached electrical switching device or a series installation device, and in particular to a switching device arrangement with preferably several such switching devices, electronic circuit breakers, protective switches, (electronic or electromechanical) relays or the like.
Description of the Background Art
An electrical switching device, such as a protective switch, a mechanical, electronic or mechatronic switch or a relay, usually has a supply connection, via which a mains-side and thus power-carrying power line can be connected, and a load connection via which a power line leading out at the load side can be connected.
Below, an electrical installation with a plurality of electrical load circuits, which are supplied with power from a common main power line and which are connected to a common power return, is generally designated as a switching device arrangement or power distribution system with a plurality of switching devices. In other words, the power distributor is an electrical circuit device which makes it possible to distribute electrical power supplied via a common main power line to a plurality of parallel load circuits, wherein safety mechanisms are provided which individually protect each load circuit against overload and/or short circuit.
Within the scope of such an arrangement of switching devices which can be connected in series, the switching devices are usually provided, in particular in terms of circuitry, at the branch points at which the load circuits branch off from the main power line. In this case, the switching device serves to separate the assigned load circuit from the power-carrying main power line, if necessary.
Such an arrangement, which is arranged on a DIN rail (top hat rail) of connectable switching devices, for example, is usually produced from individual protective switches as well as possibly from one or more supply terminals. The protective switches and the supply terminals can be individually wired by flexible lead wires. As a result of the individual wiring, the assembly of such a power distributor is comparatively complex. The circuit system formed in this case is also comparatively unclear, which makes subsequent modification to an already installed power distributor and the detachment of a single switching device for the purpose of its replacement, particularly for reasons of safety or contact protection, more difficult.
In terms of a comparatively simple connection of a plurality of parallel load circuits, the supply terminal comprises, in the case of switching devices which are designed as series installation devices, a coupling connection which can be contacted with a power-carrying bus bar which engages over several switching devices. In such an installation, the signal power guidance can either occur separately from the switching devices by means of separate switching elements or, according to DE 10 2007 027 522 B3, also by means of bus bars (signal power rails).
A power distributor is known from DE 20 2004 008 141 U1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 7,414,828, which is incorporated herein by reference, and in which a number of protective switches can be plugged onto a base, which are provided with corresponding plug-in locations. The common main power line as well as branch lines of the individual load circuits emanating from each plug-in slot are integrated in the base. However, for such a power distributor, a corresponding slot must necessarily be present in the base for each protective switch. A power distributor of the type mentioned is therefore comparatively multipartite and thus expensive in terms of production. The division of the power distributor into base part, on the one hand, and connected protective switches on the other, also requires a comparatively large overall installation height, which limits the range of application of the power distributor.